President Donald Trump held a campaign rally Wednesday, September 16, in Gastonia, North Carolina, with Republican Senate candidate Michael Whatley.

Whatley has accused Democratic opponent and former Governor Roy Cooper of freeing thousands of inmates, including violent offenders, over COVID concerns. Speaking to Breitbart News in August, Whatley said one of those people later killed Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light rail train about a year ago. He added that Cooper has never explained the releases.

Faced with that record, Cooper said some people were actually upset he had not freed still more prisoners while governor.